Improvement in rails for sliding doors



l. COLLINS.

Rails for Sliding Doors.

N0. 145,630, I Patented Dec-16,1873.

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717271 awed"; 1712a 71 Z0 r. Y yfa 6Q 75% 1 fl 524M UNITED STATES JOHN COLLINS, 0E nonoxus TOWNSHIP, BERGEN COUNTY, N. J., ASSIGNOR PATENT O FICE.

TO HOPKINS AND DICKINSON MANUFACTURING COMPANY.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILS FOR SLIDING DOORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 145,630, dated December 16, 1373; application filed October 11, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN GoLLINs, of Hohokus township, in the State of New Jersey, have invented an Improved Rail for Sliding Doors; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in the metallic rails or sills on which sliding doors are mounted to run.

Previous to my invention, it has been generally customary to form such rails with a flange projecting sidewise on either side, lying flush 0n the floor, and through which were introduced the screws by means of which the rail was secured to the floor. The great objection to this kind of rail is, that in laying carpets on the floors of the rooms, the carpets cannot be tacked over these flanges, but have to be laidup to them, not only leaving them exposed to view, which is objectionable, but also having a depression between the edge of the carpet and the elevated or head portion of the rail, in which dirt collects, and which it is difficult to keep clean.

It is, therefore, a great desideratum to provide for use some sort of rail which, while it can be attached to the floor with equal security, and will equally as well serve for the doors to ride on, shall not be subject to the objections just alluded to in the kind of rail now in generaluse.

I propose, by my invention, to effectually overcome these difficulties, and afford for use a rail which, while it can be firmly attached to the floor throughout its length, shall consist of aplain smooth rail or headstrip only, with out any flanges or other projecting parts, and shall have its means of attachment hidden from view, while it will also permit of the edges of the carpets or floor-coverings being laid and tacked close up against its sides; and to these ends and objects my invention consists in a rail cast or otherwise formed in sections, each of which has a lug at one end, and a correspondingly shaped cavity at the other end, the lugs serving as a means by which the sections are bolted or screwed to the floor, and the lugs and cavities interlocking to secure the sections together, and hide from view the securingscrews, all as will be hereinafter more fully described.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to more fully explain the construction and operation of my improved rail, referring by letters to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of one of my improved rails, some of the sections being removed to lessen the length of the figure. Fig. 2 is a full-sized top view of one of the sections; Fig. 3, a bottom view of same; Fig. 4, avertical longitudinal section at w m, Fig. 2 and Figs. 5 and 6, detail cross-sections at y y and 2.2.

In the severalfigures, the same letters designate the same parts.

As illustrated, the rail, of any desired length is made of a number of similarly-constructed sections, A, which may be cast of bronze or other metal. Each of these sections is cast, by preference, hollow or semi-cylindrical, as shown, so as to be light and at the same time strong. One end of each section is closed or solid, and is formed with a protruding lug or projecting ear, I), which is flush on the under side with the lower surface or base of the railsection, and which is not quite as wide as the rail-piece A. This lug or ear I) is made dovetailing, as shown, and with a hole passing vertically through it, and properly countersunk to receive the body and head of an ordinary wood-screw, 0, employed to secure the ear I) to the floor. The other end of each section is made with a recess or dovetailed slot or socket, d, adaptedto receive and snugly hold the ear I) of its neighbor section.

The formation and arrangement together of the sections to form the rail are so clearly shown in the drawings, and are so simple, as to require no more extended explanation.

It will be seen that the lugs I) perform the double function of a dowel or interlocking pin between the sections, and a means of secret or hidden attachment of the section to the floor; and it will be understood that while the lugs b and their securing-screws c are all inclosed within the sockets d of the sections, they may yet be sufficiently large and long enough to insure strength and permanency of securement in the rail, and that, too, While the latter in its cross-section is merely large enough to afford a good bearing and support to the casters or wheels of the door.

The form, proportions, number of sect-ions, and precise device for securing the lugs to the floor may, of course, be varied without departin g from my invention; the gist of which rests in having the sections properly formed with interlocking lugs and cavities, the former serving, also, as a means by which the section is secretly secured.

I am aware that sectional rails have been made having a projecting lug for securing the rail to the floor, and independent dowel-pins and cavities for interlocking the sections; and I do not wish to lay claim to such construction; but,

Having so fully explained the construction and operation of my invention that any one JOHN ooLLnvs; [L. s.]

In presence of HENRY R. WANMAKER, RICHARD WANMAKER. 

